Secret Santa: Holiday Shopping Tips

WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- Black Friday is about a week away and we already have a fairly good handle on the deals you'll find in stores and online. This is not only for next Friday, but for Thanksgiving night as well.

The big retailers are rolling out some big changes this year.
Walmart is offering SAME-DAY shipping in select cities. Northern Virginia is part of the demo. Toys R US will allow you to purchase something online, and pay for it in the store. And, you can reserve their "hot toys" ahead of time and pick them up on Black Friday. Macy's releases it's Black Friday ads this week, but you have to download the Macy's app to get them. Target on the other hand, has already put their specials on Facebook. And, Kohls, will have QR codes on shelves. They allow you to scan, purchase and ship an item to your home while in the store.

Here is a planning guide so you know when you can get shopping for the traditionally deep discounts after Thanksgiving dinner. Walmart, Sears and Toys R Us will lead the charge with store openings, at 8 p.m. They are followed by Target at 9 p.m.
Then at the stroke of midnight, a host of other stores, like Macy's, Kohl's, Best Buy and many shopping malls will open their doors. On top of that, a small group of retailers like Kmart and many Old Navy stores, will be open during the day on Thanksgiving.